


The Girl Next Door (Jasper x Shy!Girl!Reader)

by KitsuneSweet



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bikers, Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - No Powers, F/F, F/M, Multi, Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-29
Updated: 2017-09-04
Packaged: 2018-04-06 21:26:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 6
Words: 15,284
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4237230
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KitsuneSweet/pseuds/KitsuneSweet
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>You've lived in beach city your whole life, living a pretty carefree life.<br/>But when three new girls move next door to you, your life is suddenly thrown into chaos, your mind completely wrapped up in thoughts about your new blonde neighbor!<br/>Why are you feeling like this? You've never had a crush on another girl before!<br/>But could this crush lead to something more?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Kiss on the lips. (R-18)

"Ugh… what's all that noise?" Stirring in your bed, the sound of a truck backing up had awoken you from a sound sleep.

Sitting up and rubbing the sleep from your eyes, you picked up your alarm clock. _"It's too early for this much noise…"_

"9:45?" You read sleepily, you had slept in a little later than you normally would.  _"I've got to stop staying up scrolling on Tumblr."_    With that thought, you stretched and let out a yawn.  
  
Getting up from your bed, you took a look out the window at what was causing all of the noise. It was a moving truck.  
  
"Oh, someone's finally moving in next door?" The house next to your own had been empty for a few months. You remembered that the nicest married couple lived there last.  
  
But once the wife had gotten pregnant, they had to move somewhere with more than three bedrooms since learning that they would be having twins.  
  
You lazily leaned on the windowsill, still dazed from sleep and trying to wake yourself up even a little bit.  
  
"I wonder who's gonna move in?" You looked down as the movers were moving box after box from the truck.  
  
But after a few minutes, you spotted a van driving up. But the moment the driver stepped out, you could see a bright blush spreading over your cheeks.  
  
She had long, silky blond hair tied into a messy ponytail, a tank top that just barely reached the middle of her perfectly sculpted abs and a pair of curve-hugging blue jeans.  
  
Your face was completely flushed, your heart was racing. This was the first time you had ever seen a woman like her before! Until now you've only ever felt this way about boys but…  
  
"Hey! You idiots better not break anything!" You turned back to the window when you saw the blonde woman yelling at the movers as two more girls came out of the van.  
  
"Honestly, do you have to make so much noise, Jasper? It's annoying." The first was another blonde but her hair was much shorter than the first- who you learned was named Jasper.  
  
She was wearing a pair of damaged jeans and a simple white t-shirt and a pair of green glasses as she was scrolling on a tablet in her hands.  
  
"Really? Then I guess I won't give a crap if they drop that box where you put your computer crap." Jasper replied with a sly smirk, making Peridot's eyes widen as she went after the movers. "Hey! Watch some of those! That equipment is really expensive!"  
  
"This looks like a nice neighborhood." The third girl had short, blue hair and was wearing a simple blue sundress and pair of sandals, but your eyes were focused on Jasper.  
  
You had never seen a woman like her before, she looked so strong… So confident… Everything that you weren't.  
  
"I better go check on Peridot." The blue-haired girl sighed as she started heading into the house, leaving Jasper outside to basically watch over the movers to make sure they didn't lose or break anything.  
  
Your eyes never left her, you were completely entranced by her, and you hadn't even said a single word to her!  
  
"Jasper…" The name rolled of your tongue so sweetly, but almost as soon as you had uttered her name, your eyes widened when you saw Jasper looking at you, directly at your window.  
  
The whole world seemed to stop at that moment, you were so embarrassed that you couldn't even think of what to do or even say! You had just woken up and were wearing your old (Favorite Cartoon character) Pajamas to top it!  
  
After an eternity passed, you saw what looked like a smirk appear on Jasper's face. Her amber eyes staring straight into yours… Like as if she wanted to completely devour you…  
  
"Hey Jasper! Get in here so we can move your workout equipment! It's in the way!" The moment was broken when you heard Peridot's voice come from inside the house, and with the same smirk on her face, Jasper broke her gaze, and began walking into the house.  
  
Leaving you a complete blushing mess until your brain was able to process what had just happened.  
  
The beautiful woman who moved in next door, who you just developed a crush on, had seen you watching her from afar, and even worse, seems to be interested as well!  
  
"GAH!!! I can't believe I let that happen! I let her see me in my jammies!!" You hid yourself under your blanket, the blush on your cheeks now burning and your heart pounding every time you thought about that gaze. What a beautiful shade of amber her eyes were…  
  
_"What's going on with me?"_ You sighed, trying to calm the pounding of your heart even a little bit. You had never had a crush on another girl before, you'd have crushes on boys from time to time but never another girl.  
  
There was something special about Jasper… Something that you couldn't put your finger on.

* * *

Later that day, you were biting your lip nervously while holding a box of cookies you had made in your hands. You were walking next door… To their house.  
  
All day you had seen your other neighbors welcoming them, and it looked like you would be the last.

You debated not going at all but that would just make you look bad. And you didn't want them to think you were stuck up or anything…

But your cheeks turned red when you thought of what happened that morning…  
  
_"Maybe it isn't too late! Maybe I can still go home and forget about this!"_ The moment that thought entered your mind, you blinked when you saw Lapis open the front door. "Oh, hello."  
  
"H-Hi! My name is (Your name) and I wanted to welcome you to the neighborhood s-so I made some cookies.." You were never good with being around other people. One of the downsides of being born painfully shy.  
  
"Oh that's so nice of you!  Why don't you come in? My name is Lapis Lazuli by the way but you can call me Lapis." The blue-haired girl smiled at you as she led you inside.

In such a short time it looked like most of the moving was already done, but when you stepped inside, your blush came back with a raging vengeance when you saw Jasper, holding up a black couch in her strong arms, holding it up as Peridot was standing on the other side of the room.

"A little more… About two more inches to the right and… There! You can set it down." The blonde woman said as Jasper set the couch down and breathed out a sigh of relief.

"It'd be nice if you weren't so damned picky about where you wanted this thing!" You saw Jasper wiping sweat off her brow, it was clear she had been moving things all day… She had a thin layer of sweat on her skin that glistened with the light.

"Oh, sorry about this, (name). We're still moving so the house may be a bit of a mess, I hope you don't mind." Lapis snapped you out of your trance, and you quickly tried to look away from Jasper before she noticed you again.

"I-It's no problem, really!"

"And these are my roommates, the girl attached to her tablet is Peridot, and the one you saw moving the couches is Jasper. Guys, this is (name) she brought some cookies for us to welcome us to the neighborhood. I'll go make some tea, feel free to sit anywhere you want (name)!" Before you could say anything, you saw Lapis leave into the kitchen, leaving you alone with Peridot and Jasper.

You were trying as hard as you could to avoid eye contact with Jasper, you knew that if you looked in her eyes again, you would end up embarrassing yourself again!

Setting the box of cookies on the table, you found yourself sitting on the far end of the couch opposite of Jasper.

 _"Try to forget this morning, maybe she's forgotten about it!"_ You thought to yourself before looking at Peridot, who was glued to her tablet just like what Lapis said.

"S-So how are you liking the neighborhood so far?" You managed to ask, just to see Jasper wiping some sweat from her brow and pick up one of the cookies from the box.

"Not bad, but I think I'm starting to like it a bit more." You could hear a distinct tone in her voice, when you saw her looking at you, you quickly turned your eyes away from her.

But the blush staining your face gave you away.

"Down Jasper. Honestly, everywhere we go you're always flirting with someone. It gets annoying." Peridot said while adjusting her glasses.

"And who said I was flirting?" Jasper replied simply, but glanced at you from the corner of her eye, making your blush turn fifty shades redder.

_"This was a mistake! I can't even be in the same room with her! I'm going to have to leave! I can't handle this!"_

"Here we go- Jasper! Honestly you eat like a pig. And you reek of sweat too, why don't you go shower off?" Lapis sighed as she set the cups of tea on the coffee table, giving a rather annoyed look to Jasper, who had about three cookies stuffed into her mouth.

"And who's fault is that? It ain't my fault you two are weaklings who can't even move a couch." Jasper replied with a smug tone in her voice.

"You're the one who bench presses more than bodybuilders do. What would be the point if you didn't use it? Besides, I can smell you all the way over here. It probably isn't good for our guest. We may be used to the smell of your sweat but (name) isn't." Peridot interjected, setting her tablet on the coffee table and taking one of the cookies.

"I-It's really okay.. I don't really notice anything…" You tried to speak up but you found your voice getting softer, you never wanted to get involved with arguments between other people.

"Fine, if it'll get you two off my back." With a sigh, Jasper got off the couch and started walking down the hall.

"I'm really sorry about her (name) she can be a real slob if we don't get after her." Lapis apologized again while taking a sip from her cup.

"It's really okay, I don't mind at all. But it looks like you guys are getting along well so far." You said, actually a little relieved that Jasper had left.

"Everyone here is really nice. Plus, it's nice moving somewhere close to the sea, that's pretty much why we picked Beach City. I love going to the beach and just being near the ocean. And Jasper liked the idea of working out somewhere like this, something about bodybuilding." Lapis chuckled.

"As long as it gets her away from my stuff, I'm happy." Peridot said simply as she was eating one of the cookies, only for Lapis to giggle and use a napkin to wipe a couple of stray crumbs from the side of her mouth.

"You had a little something there, Peri." Peridot had a light blush on her face as she continued to focus on the cookie in her hand. "I told you not in front of guests."

You blushed a little when you saw the way they acted together… It was almost like they were…

"Are you two dating?" Before you knew what you were doing, you blurted out the question when you meant to keep it in your mind.

"O-Oh! I'm sorry! It's none of my business! I shouldn't have asked!" You quickly said as Lapis held her hands up. "No no, really, it's alright. We don't mind. We've been going out for a couple of months now so things are still a little new." Lapis said with a small blush on her face but a soft smile as well.

"To be honest, I knew that girls could date other girls but I never could picture it happening to myself. N-Not that I have anything against it! I honestly don't!" You quickly said, worried you might have said something offensive.

"You don't have to be so nervous. And to be honest, we thought the same way as you, that we would never end up falling for another girl but when you find that certain someone, you just know right away. From the moment you look in their eyes." Lapis said with a smile, making you blush when you remembered that morning.

"U-Um, would you mind telling me where your bathroom is?" You asked, you needed to at least splash some water on your face to calm down!

"Sure, we have two of them. Just go down the hall and it's the first door on the right." Lapis said as you got up and started heading down the wall.

So far, Lapis seemed to be the nicest. Peridot seemed to keep more to herself and Jasper… You just couldn't be around Jasper at the moment. Not after what happened that morning.

"Let's see… She said the first door on the right, I think." You found the door and when you opened it, you quickly turned red when you saw Jasper, stepping out of the shower. Her long, glossy blond hair cascading past her shoulders.

Every inch of her perfect body was in full view… It was even worse than the morning incident!

Your face was red, your heart going a million miles a second, you couldn't move, you couldn't even speak! You felt like you were going to pass out right then and there!

When you saw her look at you, you tried to at least make your voice work again. "I-I…"

"Hm? Well isn't this a nice surprise~?" She didn't even cover herself up with a towel as she started walking towards you, your eyes were glued to hers, trying to at least force your body to move out of the bathroom!

"What's wrong, little one? See something you like~?" She leaned in, purring the last part into your ear, making you shudder slightly.

"I-I didn't.. I mean.. I-I didn't mean to come in here… I-I'll just go…" You finally managed to say before seeing Jasper place her hand at your side, easily closing the door behind you.

"Oh don't go so soon~ I know that you were eyeing me this morning~" Your heart was still pounding, she was easily a two feet taller than you were, and immensely stronger as well.

"N-No I wasn't.. I-I was…" You were at a loss for words, you could barely even think of talking since she was still naked in front of you!

Why were you unable to look away?! You were both girls! You had the same parts!

You stopped when you felt Jasper trail her finger down the curve of your neck, down towards your chest. "Such a cute little thing~ Never thought I'd be lucky enough to live next to someone like you." You could hear the purr in her voice, just that alone was making you shudder.

"P-Please Jasper… If I don't get back.. Lapis and Peridot will-!" You quickly bit your lip, trying your hardest not to moan when you felt Jasper's hand sneaking under your skirt, her fingers running over your panties and from what you could feel, they were already wet.

"Then I'm gonna have to make this quick." Before you could say anything to object, you found yourself trying to hold your skirt down, blushing even harder when you saw Jasper leaning down, her face going between your legs.

"W-Wait! I-" You stopped when Jasper had shoved the towel she used to dry herself off with to your mouth. "Don't want them to hear do you~?"

Before you could object even further, you found yourself biting back a moan as Jasper's tongue glided over your womanhood.

It was a sensation you had never felt before! You had never been on a date, or even kissed before but this was still happening!

"Ngh~" You bit down on the towel, feeling Jasper's tongue licking all of the sensitive spots you didn't even know about! Her free hand trailing under your shirt, her fingers teasing one of your nipples under your bra.

The more Jasper licked, the harder it was getting for you to keep your voice down. But you found your eyes starting to roll back, your body getting hotter, a burning sensation in your loins that only got worse.

"Getting into it hm~?" You let out a surprised squeak when you felt Jasper's tongue teasing your clit. She was so skilled, it was like she already knew your body better than you did!

But the burning sensation only got worse, you found yourself unconsciously moving your hips the more she continued to lick and tease you.

You could feel a strange pressure building up inside you, your breath coming in heavy pants. And before you knew what was going on, you suddenly felt the most intense pleasure you had ever felt in your life!

You saw nothing but white for a few seconds, your whole body trembled at the new sensation.

When you felt it starting to fade, you felt Jasper set you down since your legs had long-since given out. She was wearing that same smirk, licking her lips hungrily at you. "I knew you'd be sweet~" Still dazed from the pleasure you had just felt, you saw Jasper leaning in to your face.

Without thinking, you leaned in back, actually kissing her. This was your first kiss, and you were giving it to a woman who had just molested you in her bathroom.

Jasper seemed a little surprised, after a couple of seconds, you broke the kiss, still panting softly, looking up at Jasper as you could see the ghost of an actual smile on her face.

"I'll be seeing you later, (name)~" She actually leaned in, kissing your forehead before walking out of the bathroom, leaving you there, still sitting on the bathroom floor.

Your face flushed, your breath coming in small pants, you obviously needed a change of panties, and you had just kissed the woman who had opened your mind to a whole new world of experiences.

Once it all sunk in though, your mind couldn't take it, and you found yourself passing out, your head landing on the bunched-up towel on the floor.

"Jasper! I've told you not to walk around naked-AH! (Name!) (Name!) Are you alright?! Jasper! Did you do something to her?! Come on (Name) wake up! Peridot! Come help me!" The last thing you heard before drifting off into unconsciousness was Lapis' voice.


	2. Kiss on the cheek.

You woke up in your bed, shooting straight up and panting lightly, you could feel a layer of sweat on your skin. The dream you just had was so vivid… It almost felt like it was real!

With a blush, you started getting up from your bed. So far, the new neighbors had been living next door for a week, but you were too shy to go introduce yourself.

You knew that everyone else had already gone over, Mr. Universe and his adorable son, Steven. The Maheswaran family even went to introduce themselves and so far, you were the only one who hadn’t.

Looking out the window, you could see the very reason why you avoided the house next door.

"58…59…60…61…" You found your eyes drawn to the woman from your dreams. She was lifting weights, and very large ones from what you could see.

Small beads of sweat were trailing down her strong, toned arms, and again, she was wearing that tank top that perfectly showed off her abs.

You shook your head when you realized that you were staring like some kind of horny schoolgirl again! This had been going on for a week, and your crush was only getting worse!

"I have to snap out of this! She's another woman! Chances are she might even have a boyfriend!" You got up from your bed, and started heading into the bathroom… You needed a shower after that dream.

* * *

 _"There has to be a way I can get over this. I can't just avoid her, she lives next to me! But why am I feeling this way towards her? I even had a perverted dream about her!"_ You needed to get your mind off of things. You've had crushes before but none of them were this intense!

Breathing out a sigh, you locked the door to your house and started heading to The Big Donut. Sugar always helped calm your nerves down, and you didn't really feel like cooking breakfast today.

_"How can I get over her? I barely even know her! All I know is that she likes to work out and has the body of a goddess- OH GOD I'm doing it again!!"_

You mentally kicked yourself! You didn't want to have a crush on Jasper, but it just happened all of a sudden, you couldn't prepare for it. But then again, when could you ever prepare for having a crush?

"Oh hey (name)! What can I get you?" Sadie greeted you at the counter. "Hi Sadie, could I get a couple of jelly filled donuts and a coffee?" You managed to ask, trying to get Jasper out of your mind.

"Have a rough night?" Sadie asked as she set your order on the counter.

"You could say that." You sighed, fumbling with your wallet before pulling out a couple of bills and handing them to her. "Here, go ahead and keep the change."

"You know (Name), if anything is wrong then you can always talk to me." Sadie said with a small smile.

"Thanks Sadie, that does help. But I just have a lot on my mind, that's all." You smiled back, taking a sip from your cup of coffee.

Even though Sadie was a good friend, it would be way too embarrassing to tell her that you had a crush on your neighbor,  just had a vivid sexual dream about her, and haven't even talked to her yet.

"Well if you ever want to talk, you have my number." Sadie smiled as you started walking out. "Thanks Sadie, I'll talk to you later." You smiled back at her. Even if it wasn't about the issue, talking to Sadie did always make you feel better.

As you walked out of the Big Donut, you took one of the jelly donuts from the bag and took a bite. You wanted to sort this whole messed up situation. And one of the first steps in the right direction was to quit being afraid of introducing yourself to your neighbors.

_"Right, I'm not gonna be scared! They're people like I am! Especially Jasper! It's not like she's some kind of goddess she's a girl like me, and I shouldn't have any problem talking to her!"_

You've made up your mind. You couldn't let this go on! You had to at least talk to her! Right now, all you were feeling was nothing but lust. You didn't even know her, but you wanted that to change.

And you were going to make sure that changed.

* * *

"Alright, finally got them done." You smiled to yourself as you pulled a batch of chocolate chip cookies out of your oven. You weren't the all-time best at cooking but you thought that it would look bad if you went over empty-handed.

Especially since you were the last to introduce yourself to them.

After putting them in a box and wrapped the box in some (favorite color) wrapping paper, you took a look in the reflection of the stove, making sure that your hair was neat and that you didn't look messy, no flour on your clothes, no hairs out of place.

"Alright, it's now or never." Picking up the box, you started walking out of your house and heading next door.

Your heart was already starting to race just at the thought of actually talking to Jasper instead of just watching her from afar. _"Don't chicken out, you can't chicken out! You're already almost there, don't turn back!"_

You kept trying to will yourself to go forward, but all of your instincts were telling you to turn tail and run away.

"Oh hello, can I help you with something?" You were snapped out of your thoughts when you saw one of Jasper's roommates, a girl with short blue hair, look at you with a small smile and setting down a blue watering can she was using to water the plants around her house.

"Oh yes, I'm actually your neighbor. My name is (name). I-I'm sorry for not coming sooner, I didn't really have the time so I thought I would come introduce myself." You knew that you were still blushing a little bit but so far, Lapis seemed to be nice.

"Oh it's nice to meet you, (Name). My name is Lapis Lazuli but you can call me Lapis, why don't you come in? I'll go get some tea." Lapis smiled back at you, and you felt a little more comfortable. She was easy to talk to.

"Sure, that would be nice. I even brought some cookies for you and your roommates if you want some." You followed Lapis into the house and the moment you did, you heard yelling coming from the living room.

"Come on! Come on! Come on! Damn it! I almost had you! That damned blue turtle shell!" You took a look in the living room and saw Jasper, sitting on a black couch, playing video games with her roommate, the blonde girl wearing the green glasses.

"You left yourself wide open. Don't hate the player, hate the game." The glasses-wearing girl said with a small smirk.

"Sorry about them. Those are my roommates. Hey guys, can you put your little game aside for later? We have a guest. This is our neighbor (name). (Name), these are my roommates. Jasper and Peridot." Lapis pointed at her roommates as the two turned your way.

"Hello." Peridot didn't look very interested in making a good first impression and had a rather bored look on her face.

"Yeah hey. Come on Peridot! Give me a rematch! No items this time!" Jasper just waved her hand a little bit, dismissing you and was more interested in beating Peridot at their video game.

You blinked a couple of times, actually a little surprised. Before, she gave you that smirk but now she looked like she had completely lost interest.

"Those two will never change. Come on (Name), I'll go get the tea ready." Lapis smiled at you and started leading you to their kitchen.

 _"Well so far things aren't going like my dream went. That's good."_ You thought to yourself as you set the box of cookies on the counter.

"So how are you liking the neighborhood so far?" You asked, just trying to make pleasant conversation.

"So far it's really nice here. The people here are really nice. Plus I love living somewhere close to the sea. Where we lived before, it was really… Well It's hard to explain I guess you could say advanced. There was no water anywhere, and I just didn't feel at home there." From the sound of it, it had to be a sensitive subject for her.

"Well I'm glad that you like it here in Beach city. If you want, I could show you around the city since I'm sure you aren't settled in yet." You smiled, a day with Lapis did sound like fun.

"Oh that'd be great! I'm still getting used to things here so being shown around sounds like fun. How long have you been living in Beach City (name)?" Lapis asked as she took a sip from her teacup.

"Me? Well I've been living in the city as long as I can remember. I've lived here ever since I was a kid. I didn't start to live on my own until just a little while ago so I'm still getting used to that." You said, and were actually surprised how easy it was to talk with Lapis. You actually found yourself getting comfortable with her.

"Well if you ever need help with anything you can always come to us. Peridot's really good when it comes to computers and stuff, she's really smart. And if you need something heavy moved, you can ask Jasper. She's really strong." Lapis smiled as she looked at her two roommates, already wrapped up in another round of their video game.

"Oh come on! We said no items!" Jasper exclaimed, still enveloped in the video game.

"You didn't pick the course without them, that's your own fault." Peridot replied simply as Lapis sighed. "They can be really competitive with video games. I'm terrible at them myself."

But your eyes trailed to the video game they were playing… You had that very game! "Damn it! You cheated with that mushroom!" Jasper exclaimed again.

"You're the one who let the princess cut you off." Peridot replied simply, and before you realized what you were doing, you walked over to the couch and picked up the controller. "Do you mind if I try?" You asked, looking at Jasper with a small blush.

She looked back at you with a small shrug. "Good luck, she cheats." Once you picked up the controller, your gaming instincts took over.

You spent most of your life playing video games, and was introduced to them at an early age.

"Wow, she's actually pretty good." You heard Lapis say but your mind was focused on the level, staring straight at the screen as your fingers expertly moved around the controller.

"Man she is kicking your ass Peridot!" You heard Jasper say in a rather amused tone. Once you finished the level, you smiled a bit. "Well that wasn't so hard. I'm actually a bit of a gamer." You admitted with a blush.

"I'd say more than a bit if you beat Peridot. Come on! Four players, you and me against Lapis and Peri!" Jasper said with a grin on her face.

Your blush came rushing back, but you smiled a little bit. "Sure, that sounds like fun." 

"Oh come on, you guys know that I'm terrible at these games." Lapis said with a sigh. "It's fine. Besides, Jasper is horrible at this game. The only one with any skills is (name) and it's been a while since I had a good challenge." Peridot said with a small smirk as she adjusted her green-framed glasses.

With that said, you found yourself spending a couple of hours next door. Playing video games and actually having a good time with Peridot, Lapis, and Jasper.

Much to your relief, nothing in your dream had happened this time. No surprise bathroom sex, nothing but some competitiveness and laughs.

"Looks like we're at a stalemate." Peridot said as the round ended in a tie, and Lapis chuckled a bit and got up. "Well count me out, I got all stiff from playing for so long, I've gotta get some laundry started."

"It is starting to get late, I should head home." You smiled, you didn't really want to leave but you were a little too nervous to spend the night at the same house as Jasper.

"That's fine, we will settle this another time." Peridot said simply as she got up from the couch, stretching a little bit.

Looking to your right, you saw Jasper, slumped over the side of the couch, fast asleep. "Um, what about Jasper? Will she be alright?" You asked as Peridot gave a sparring glance to Jasper and shrugged. "She does this all the time, she'll wake up and get in her own bed eventually."

With that said, you saw Peridot leave into the hallway, leaving you in the living room, alone with Jasper.

You found yourself just looking down at her as you got up from the couch. She was sleeping so soundly, it made you wonder when she fell asleep since you were so wrapped up in playing video games.

Your mind went back to the dream you had the night before, making you shake your head. The way she spoke to you.. The way she touched you… You had to remember it was all nothing but a lust-induced dream!

 _"Why am I so attracted to her? I've never even had a crush on another girl before now.."_ As you were thinking that, you bit your lip.

Leaning in and quickly giving Jasper a small peck on the cheek. You couldn't just kiss her on the lips but you thought the cheek had to be innocent enough.

But the moment you did that, you quickly placed your hand over your mouth, your heart already racing. _'Oh god what did I do? I hope no one saw…"_

"Hey (name), are we still on for tomorrow?" Lapis asked, walking into the room, quickly making you stand straight and face her.

"O-Of course we are! I'll see you tomorrow Lapis!" You smiled as you started walking out, your heart was still pounding, you could still feel her cheek pressed against your lips.

Gently, you placed your finger over your lips, you could still feel the warmth from Jasper's skin against them.

There was no denying it. Your crush wasn't getting any better. It was getting worse…

 _"What am I gonna do now?"_ You thought to yourself. You've never liked another girl before, you didn't know how to react. You didn't even know if Jasper liked girls! For all you knew, she could have a boyfriend and you were stuck having your heart race every time you thought about her fluffy blonde hair… The way she grinned… Her strong, muscular arms you would feel so safe in…

"AH MAN!! I'm doing it again!!" The moment you got into your house, you flopped yourself onto your bed, hugging your pillow. It had to be unhealthy to have a crush this bad! And yours was only getting worse from here-on out!


	3. Tackle to the ground hug.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You're looking forward to a day at the beach with Lapis, just to get your mind off of things (Mainly your crush on Jasper) but will your quest for peace be crushed when Peridot and Jasper decide to come along?

You let out a small groan when you heard your phone alarm going off.

Last night, you got a text from Lapis, and the both of you decided to head to the beach together, just to spend some time together.

Letting out a yawn, you picked up your phone from your nightstand, the clock flashing 9:30 in your face, your eyes still trying to adjust to the light from just waking up.

You weren't set to go meet Lapis until noon so you thought that nine was a good time to wake up and not have her wait too long after you got ready.

Rubbing your eyes, you started groggily getting up from your bed. You were used to getting up at around noon in the summer, the heat combined with the air conditioning made it hard to wake up in the morning.

"Let's see, maybe I should pack a picnic?" You were trying to wake yourself up a bit more, just getting your mind on something other than your sleepiness.

As you were walking into the bathroom, your eyes trailed to your bedroom window. And just like that, you found your cheeks flushed when you saw Jasper coming back from a morning jog, a thin layer of sweat gleaming off of her skin, her long, fluffy blonde hair was flowing freely behind her.

When you realized you were getting lost in her image again, you quickly shook your head and headed into the bathroom. _"I have got to stop doing this! This can't be healthy!"_

But the blush on your cheeks wasn't going anywhere, your mind kept trailing back to that same image, Jasper, wearing a pair of black biker shorts, and a tight-fitting white tank top that cut off at her midriff, showcasing her perfectly sculpted abs…

You let out a sigh as you let the shower drench you from the top of your head to the tip of your toes, trying to will that mental image out of your head. _"…I have got to stop doing this to myself."_

You felt like it was getting worse, you were thinking about Jasper all the time, and you wanted to learn more about her, what her favorite food is, when her birthday is, things like that. And the more you thought about it, the more that you were starting to find it creepy.

It couldn't be healthy to think about someone in this way, there was no way it could be! You've had crushes before sure, but none of them ever felt this intense! Was it because this was your first crush on a girl? Was it because it was Jasper in particular?

Once you were done showering, you sighed and picked up a towel from the cabinet and began drying yourself off. You wanted to try getting your mind off of Jasper.

 _"Okay, today my mind gets a break, I'm going to the beach with Lapis today, I can just hang out with her and not think about her roommates."_ You smiled to yourself, getting dressed and exiting the bathroom while still drying your hair with the towel in your hands.

Suddenly, you heard your phone go off, the screen saying that you got a text message, and it was from Lapis.

"It's still early, I hope she isn't telling me she's cancelling." Sitting on your bed, you picked up your phone from your nightstand and started reading the text.

_"Hey (name), I'm really excited to get to the beach. I wanted to let you know that Peridot and Jasper are going to come along with us, is that okay with you?"_

You stared at that one name on your screen for what seemed like an eternity…

_Jasper_

_Jasper_

**_JASPER!_ **

You let out a groan as you laid back on your bed, your towel covering your face.

"What am I supposed to say?! If I say no, it'll make me sound like I don't like Peridot or Jasper but I was looking forward to this trip just to get my mind OFF of Jasper! I can't do that if she's right there!! Oh god what's the right answer?!" 

After what seemed like an eternity of thinking, you finally picked up your phone from your nightstand and started texting Lapis back.

_"It's no problem with me. The more the merrier! I'm sure we'll all have a great time at the beach!"_

Once the text was sent, you let out another sigh, you weren't sure if you could handle Jasper tagging along as well…

"Well, I already said that she could come so I might as well start getting ready." You sighed, getting up from your bed, you preferred to let your hair air-dry, and you still had a bit of time left to prepare before you were supposed to meet with Lapis.

By the time noon rolled around, you shoved your phone into your pocket and breathed out a sigh as you put your hand on your doorknob.

_"Okay, Jasper is going to be with us today, it won't be that bad. Just try not to stare and I'm sure things will be fine… Oh god I'm dead."_

With that thought in your mind, you left your house, and the moment you did, you were greeted by a friendly smile from Lapis who had just come out of her house, wearing a pale blue sundress and holding a wicker picnic basket in her hands.

"Oh (name)! There you are, I'm so glad you suggested this! I've been wanting to just take a day to go to the beach. I even made lunch for the four of us to have later." It was clear that Lapis was looking forward to this trip, you had lived in Beach City for so long that going to the beach was no longer such a big deal.

"I'm glad you're excited, but where are Peridot and Jasper?" And the moment you asked that, you saw Peridot coming out of the house next, wearing her usual green-framed glasses, a green tank top and a pair of black shorts, it looked pretty casual.

"Are you gonna look at your phone during the whole trip? I heard that makes your eyesight even worse." And you saw Jasper following after her, wearing a yellow tank top, a pair of damaged jean shorts, and her long, flowing hair tied into a ponytail.

"First off, since when do you care about my eyesight? And second; It's none of your business." Peridot replied simply as she put her phone into her pocket.

"Oh come on Peri, the fresh air will do you some good." Lapis offered the blonde a kind smile, and you saw what looked like the ghost of a blush on Peridot's cheeks as she glanced away from the blunette.

"This better be worth my time." Peridot sighed. Over time, you noticed that Peridot and Lapis spent quite a bit of time together when they could, and from some angles, it looked like they could be dating.

But of course you had no idea of actually asking them. You couldn't think of an acceptable way of actually asking if they were dating. And with a small blush, you let your eyes trail to Jasper, but the moment you saw her look back at you, you quickly averted your eyes and looked back at Lapis.

"Okay so now that we're all here, why don't we get going?" You offered with a smile.

"Sure! Let's go!" Lapis looked to be the most excited. You were looking forward to this but knowing that Jasper was less than a foot away from you made you a little more nervous than you'd liked.

 _"Okay, I can do this, just try not to think about her too much! Just put your mind on something else"_ With that thought in your mind, you smiled when you saw how happily Lapis was heading down the boardwalk.

"So you said before that your old home wasn't anywhere near water. Did you used to live in a big city?" You asked, just trying to make conversation.

"You could say that. The thing is, that I lived away from home for quite a while. I guess you could say that I was lost for a very long time. All I wanted was to get back home but when I got back… Everything looked like it'd changed. Everything was different, I couldn't wrap my mind around it." As Lapis spoke, she breathed out a sigh and started looking at the sky as she walked.

"I know that Jasper and Peridot were more used to it than I was, but I couldn't handle living there anymore. It just didn't feel like home, so we decided to come here. And I'm glad we did. Everyone here is really nice, the fresh air is wonderful. And the best part has to be the beach." Lapis finished with a smile.

It sounded like they had been through quite a bit that you didn't know anything about. But for now, you felt that it was best not to pry. "I'm glad that you like it here. I've lived here for as long as I can remember so I guess I've gotten used to living near a beach." You smiled before looking at Peridot, who was staring at her phone once again.

"S-So are you looking forward to spending a day at the beach, Peridot?" You asked, a little more nervous than you were with Jasper since she looked to have a more stern personality than Lapis.

You saw Peridot give you a passing glance from the corner of her eye and continue texting on her phone. "I came here because Lapis wanted me to come. Truthfully I don't really like being outside much, but this meant a lot to her."

You smiled a little at her response. It really looked like she did care for Lapis. And maybe she had a sweet side to her that you've just yet to see.

"A-And you?" You looked up at Jasper, even though you knew it was a risk just talking to her at this point.

"Unlike the nerd here, I can't be cooped up all the time. Besides, I didn't have anything else going on so I figured why not?" She said with a small shrug while placing her hands behind her head, giving you a full view of her perfectly toned arms…

Feeling the blood rushing to your cheeks, you quickly looked away before she could notice. "W-Well I'm glad that you two could make it, i-it'll probably be more fun than if it was just Lapis and I. Oh! I-I didn't mean I didn't want to come with just Lapis! I meant that it would just be fun with more people!" You quickly corrected yourself.

Already just by speaking to her, Jasper made you lose your composure!

You heard Lapis chuckle a bit and place her hand on your shoulder. "It's fine, you don't have to be nervous around us. We're friends right?" She offered you a smile, making you smile back at her instinctively.

"Yeah.. Right." You smiled even more when you saw the beach coming into view. "Looks like we're here!"

"Oh, it's so beautiful! The water's so clear you can see right through it!" Lapis smiled and was the first to rush to the seaside and began looking in the water.

You had been living in Beach city for so long, that you had forgotten just how much of a luxury it was to live near a beach sometimes.

"And there she goes. I swear she gets like this every time we're even near a puddle." Jasper said with a small chuckle but was looking around the beach.

"Is it a crime to just enjoy nature sometimes? You know how she is by now." Peridot replied simply as she shoved her phone in her pocket.

"You're the last person I expected to hear that from." Jasper said with a rather unamused tone in her voice.

But you were actually having a good time. You had been here by yourself quite a bit so it was a nice change. "So what do you guys want to do first-Gah!" You stopped when you felt something hit you on the back of your head.

Looking down, you saw that it was a volleyball. "Amethyst! I told you not to play so hard against Steven!"

When you looked over your shoulder, you smiled when you saw Steven running over. "I got it! Don't worry!" He then smiled when he saw you. "Oh hey (name)! I didn't expect to see you here today!"

"Oh hey Steven! I didn't think you'd be here either! Are Garnet, Amethyst and Pearl with you?" You asked with a smile as you handed Steven the ball.

"Yeah! I got them to take a break today, hm? Did you come with some friends?" Steven asked before you saw his eyes widen and his smile get wider. "Lapis Lazuli!" You could only watch as the little boy smiled and started running towards Lapis, obviously taking her off-guard. 

"Steven?! Oh it's great to see you!" Lapis smiled as she hugged the boy back. "I didn't think you were gonna come back! It's so great to see you!"

"It's great to see you too! But wait, if you're here then does that mean the others are with you?" You saw Lapis turn to the left when you saw Steven's guardians start coming over.

"Yo Steven! What's the ho…" You heard Amethyst speak first, but she went silent along with the others. Jasper, Lapis, and Peridot all looked at the other three with slightly cold stares.

All of a sudden, you felt the mood change. You could just feel the animosity in the air. Something was obviously going on, and you knew for a fact that something had to have happened between them in the past that you didn't know about.

"Lapis. Peridot. Jasper. We.. Didn't know that you would be here." Pearl was the first to speak, obviously trying to be the civil one.

"It's a free country. Besides, we didn't come here to start anything. We came for the same reason as you." Peridot said simply, but you could still hear the cold tone in her voice.

You could hardly take the tense atmosphere they were creating. And you could see from Steven's expression that this was getting harder for him to deal with.

"T-That right! We just came here to have fun! So.. Why don't we…" You quickly looked around before picking up the volleyball that Steven had dropped to hug Lapis.

"Play Volleyball! I don't know what's going on but why don't we just settle this with a game of volleyball?" You offered while holding up the ball.

"(Name), this doesn't concern you and this certainly isn't something that can be settled with-" Pearl was cut off when Amethyst spoke up. "Yeah! Come on P! Eight players is a lot more fun than just four! Besides, you can't play worth jack! I need a real challenge and I know that Jasper will give me one."

You saw a confident smirk spread over Jasper's face. "At least someone's making some sense. Unless the rest of you are scared of getting your asses handed to you." She walked towards you, picking up the ball in your hand.

And in that moment, you realized just how much taller she was than you! You were only about the height of Lapis, maybe Peridot, but Jasper was at least twice your size!

"We are not scared but now is hardly the time for-"

"We accept." You heard Garnet cut Pearl off, surprise clearly showing on her face. "But Garnet.."

"Can you give us a couple of minutes to get ready?" You asked with a small smile, though now you were nervous, you weren't exactly the best at sports..

"Alright! This is gonna be so fun!" You saw Steven happily head over to the other gems and start heading back to the other side of the beach where they were before.

You weren't sure what to ask though.. They obviously had some history together but you weren't sure if it was a sensitive subject or not.

"So now we're going to be playing this juvenile game against them? I could be doing something inside right now." Peridot said with a sigh.

"Please, it's not like they're gonna win. This'll be a breeze." Jasper said with her own confident smirk but you started walking towards Lapis, she looked a little torn…

"Lapis… Are you alright? I mean if you don't want to play you don't have to." You said, seeing Lapis get up from the sand. "No, it's alright. Besides, it's nice to be able to see Steven again so this will be fine. Even though I'm not really the best at sports."

"You're better than the nerd here. She can't even throw." Jasper said, taking a sparing glance at Peridot.

"That's because games like this are completely juvenile, I work better while using my mind anyway."

"Yeah but your mind can't spike a ball. Neither can your arms for that matter." Jasper replied simply while holding the ball in her hand.

"Well not all of us can be freaking bodybuilders like you are, Jasper!"

"Okay, okay, that's enough you two. We're not really playing to win. We're playing to just have fun. Besides, if we don't do this we'll just end up fighting with them and I don't think that's what (name) had in mind when we decided to come here." Lapis stood between Peridot and Jasper, acting as the mediator. She was obviously used to Peridot and Jasper's little arguments.

"I don't really know what went on between you guys but I just thought that maybe playing a game would be better than you guys fighting. Especially in front of Steven." You said, even though it was a spur-of-the-moment kind of action.

"And you were right. Come on, we can fix this. Besides, I know that you're still friends with Amethyst, right Jasper?" Lapis asked as Jasper chuckled.

"She's the only one who can keep up with me. She's fun to be around for a runt anyway."

"And afterwards we can have lunch." Lapis said with a smile as she handed you the picnic basket. "Can you put this somewhere safe? "

"Oh, sure no problem." You smiled back at her and watched as the three started heading to the other side of the beach with you following after them after finding a safe spot to leave the basket.

"So it's going to be four against four right?" You asked when you saw Steven smile brightly. "You know it!"

"We agreed to this because Garnet thought it was a good idea. Now remember, no playing too rough. And yes, I'm looking at you, Jasper." Pearl said, giving an accusing look to Jasper. The blonde merely dismissing her with the flick of her wrist.

"Fine, I'll hold back against the kid, but that doesn't mean I'm holding back against any of you." She said with a smirk while holding the ball.

"We don't really have to go crazy though.." You spoke under your breath before blinking when you saw Jasper toss the ball up and spiked it towards the other team.

And while the spike was fast, you could easily tell that wasn't even one tenth of how powerful she could be.

"I got it!" Amethyst  was quick with a dive and bounced it up to Pearl, who then spiked it back.

Peridot was surprisingly able to bounce the ball up, giving Lapis an opportunity to spike. Steven tried to block the ball but fell short. "Looks like the first point goes to us." Jasper said with a smirk.

"Great spike, Lapis!" Steven smiled, brushing himself off. He was obviously the better sport here.

You smiled a little bit, it looked like the game was able to shift the mood a bit. Making things less tense between the others but you still couldn't help but wonder what could have gone on between them.

You ended up getting lost in your own thoughts after a while, until you heard Lapis' voice suddenly snap you out of it.

"(name) Heads up!" You suddenly saw the volleyball flying over you. You started to run after it, you at least wanted to get in one point for yourself! "I got it!"

You called before suddenly bumping into something, and ended up falling on the ground. It all happened in a second, but strangely enough, you felt your head against something soft.

"You alright?" When you heard Jasper's voice, your face quickly turned red when you saw that you had landed right on top of her! Your face right between her cleavage at that!

"I-I-I'm so sorry! I should've looked where I was going! I-I didn't mean to.." You trailed off, your heart was going a million paces a second, your face was obviously red, you could feel the heat under your cheeks.

But your felt your heart starting to race even more when you felt Jasper's hand on your head. "Hey, don't worry about it. At least you didn't get hurt." You saw her smile a little bit down at you, and just seeing that smile made your heart race all the more.

"U-Uh, I'm going to take a little break, I need to get a drink." You said as you got up from the sand.

"Oh, alright, sure. We're almost done here anyway, I think it's fair to say that the next point wins." You heard Lapis say but you were already heading away from the court.

Your heart was pounding against your chest, you could still feel Jasper's hand on your head, and see her smile in your mind.

The moment you spotted the picnic basket, you took out a bottle of water and poured it over your head, just to try and cool yourself down, and it helped a little bit.

_"I can't believe I just ran into her like that!... And I can't believe how big she is… She's a lot bigger than me, especially her strong arms…GAH! I'M DOING IT AGAIN!!!"_

You let out a small groan and ruffled your hair, just trying to get the image out of your mind but it was impossible. Her scent, the feel of her skin, her smile, all of it would be engraved into your mind forever…

Breathing out a sigh, you set the water bottle down, your mind still going over what had just happened. Stuck on replay.

_"What am I gonna do about this? She probably doesn't even like me back, there's a chance she doesn't even like girls, so why am I doing this to myself? Why am I putting myself through this hell?... Why won't my heart slow down?"_

You gently placed your hand over your chest, your heart was still racing just as quickly as ever.

"Is everything okay, (name)?" You looked over your shoulder when you saw Lapis walking over to you with Peridot and Jasper following right behind.

"Sorry, I got a little overheated." You said, trying to explain why your hair was drenched with water. And with the usual summer heat, it did feel a little refreshing.

"Oh, well I'm just glad you're alright." Lapis smiled, taking a seat next to you in the sand.

"So how did the game turn out?" You asked, just to see Jasper reach into the basket and pull out a soda with a smirk. "We beat them, obviously."

"It would've been nice if you didn't hog the ball." Peridot said in a rather annoyed tone.

"Hey, I'm pretty much the only one who could take on Garnet's spikes. If you two tried, you would've been crushed." You couldn't help but chuckle at the proud tone she was using. You found it a little endearing.

"How about you? You alright? You looked like you were gonna pass out or something." You felt your cheeks heat up when Jasper spoke to you again. "I-I just got a little over-heated, that's all. I'm not really used to playing sports much."

"But it was a good idea. Thanks to the game, we were able to talk to them in a civil manner. Instead of just glaring." Lapis said with her own smile, taking a sandwich out of the basket.

"Not all of us though, Jasper here was gloating the whole time." Peridot sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"You're just jealous that I can play better than you." Jasper smirked back at the smaller blonde.

You couldn't help but smile though. Even though you knew there was something going on between these three and Steven's guardians, you figured that it was best not to pry and just enjoy the rest of the day. 

But the question still lingered in the back of your mind;

What happened between them?


	4. Sleeping.

A couple of days had passed since your day at the beach. And so far, you found your crush on Jasper not getting any better. You even worried that it was just getting worse.

The good part of it was that you found your blush wasn't getting as dark anymore. And strangely enough, you found yourself enjoying her company a tiny bit more than you used to. 

But every time you got close to her, you still found your cheeks heating up once more, your heart beginning to flutter, and your legs begging for you to run away. 

Thankfully, Lapis liked to be by your side. And you found yourself getting along with her quite a bit. She was easier to talk to than Peridot and Jasper. 

But despite all of that, that one question still lingered in your mind. 

What could have gone on between your neighbors and Steven's guardians? 

You still figured that had to be a touchy subject, so you decided to leave it alone for the moment. 

As of right now, you were next door, Lapis had invited you over just to spend some time together. And since it was Lapis, of course you agreed. 

"I'm glad that you invited me over, was there something that you wanted to talk about?" You asked while taking a sip of the cup of tea in front of you. 

"Well, I wanted to apologize for what happened a couple of days ago. That whole mess with Steven's guardians. I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable." Lapis replied with a small sigh. 

"Oh it's alright, really, don't worry about it! Everything worked out for the better didn't it?" You offered with your own small smile. 

"I guess so, they are letting me see Steven, so that's a plus.  Even though it'll be a while before they're ready to completely trust me." You could hear the regret in Lapis' voice. See it in her eyes as she looked down at her cup of tea.

You didn't want to pry and placed your hand over hers. "Don't worry. I'm sure that they'll come around. There's also something  I wanted to ask you.." 

"Oh, sure. What is it (name)?" You felt your cheeks warming up just at the thought of your question. 

"Well.. Um… It's about you and Peridot. I noticed that you two seem pretty close and I wanted to ask um… are the two of you… dating?" The last word lingered in your throat a bit before finally coming out.

You were a little surprised to hear Lapis chuckle in response. "I'm surprised that you didn't notice it sooner. From the look on your face I thought something might've been wrong." 

"Notice it sooner? You mean, it wasn't some sort of secret or anything?" You asked, honestly a little surprised. Sometimes you had heard of girls dating but the relationships were sometimes kept in secret for different reasons. 

And it wasn't like you had seen them kissing or anything…

"Of course not. I mean sure, Peridot doesn't like showing affection in public, but that's just because she's a little shy. When we're alone, she's really sweet. We've known each other for a while, and I'll admit, at first we didn't really talk much but when you find the right person, you just sort of know." All you could do was watch Lapis' expression, the blush on her cheeks, the smile on your face… It reminded you so much of your own whenever you thought of Jasper.

"Judging from that look on you're face, you've already found that person, haven't you?" You quickly felt the heat rising under your cheeks again. She saw right through you.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about.." 

"Let me guess. It's Jasper isn't it?" You were sure your face was bright red when her name was mentioned. Were you really that easy to read that Lapis was able to figure it out so quickly?

You could only stare down at your teacup. She completely figured you out. There was no use in lying to her at this point. 

"…Okay yes. I can't help it! I mean, she just has my head all messed up, and I'm thinking about her a lot too and.. Please don't tell anyone. I'm still trying to figure things out." Lapis chuckled as she took a sip from her teacup. 

"It's no problem. Your secret's safe with me. But you know you're not the first right? I've seen lots of girls falling for her. I guess she just has that effect on people. But the thing you need to know is… Be careful with her." The tone in Lapis' voice changed a little at the end. Like as if she was trying to subtly give you a warning. 

"Be careful with her? How come? I mean, she's so strong and confident. Everything I wish I was." You sighed, just at the thought. 

"Well I guess you can say that she has a history to her. She's the type who just likes quick flings. Her longest relationship was only a month and even then she said it was casual." Lapis said with a sigh. 

"Sometimes I think she just has to be oblivious to others feelings, she's not a bad person but she can be careless sometimes. I just don't want to see you get hurt."

You started thinking about it a little. Maybe Jasper didn't like the idea of commitment? Or maybe she just hasn't found the right person? But at least you knew she's been with girls before, that's a little bit of good.

"Thanks Lapis, don't worry. The way things are going now, I'll probably be keeping my feelings to myself for a while." You replied with a small smile. 

You were used to that, especially in this case. It was too embarrassing for you to actually tell anyone about your feelings towards Jasper!

"I used to think like that too, but you never know. Time has a way of changing things and people too so maybe you'll be the lucky one." Lapis replied with her own soft smile.

Your attention was drawn to the window when you heard thunder rumbling outside, and saw that it was already raining.

"It's raining? Oh man, I didn’t think it would rain so soon." You sighed, and wondered when the rain could have started.

"Really? It looks like it came at about the right time. I mean the sun's already gone down." Lapis said as you quickly looked at your phone.  
_"It's already this late?! I actually got so lost in thought that I lost track of time again?!"_

"You can go wait in the living room, I think we have a spare umbrella around here somewhere." Lapis said as she got up from the table and started walking down the hall before you could object.

Breathing out a defeated sigh, you walked to the living room and sat on the couch. Just watching the raindrops falling down the window.  
Listening to the sound of the rain falling against the roof always had a calming effect on you.

While listening to the soothing sound of the rain, you found that your mind was more at ease. You could think more clearly.

_"The longest relationship Jasper has had was only a month?... Maybe that's for the best? Maybe I just need to get these feelings off my chest so I can move on from them? I can't do that now though, there's no way I'd be able to tell her that I like her…"_

You felt your eyelids getting heavy the more you just listened to the rain, watching it cascade down the glass of the window…

And before you knew it, you found yourself drifting off to sleep on the couch, lulled by the calming sound of the rain.

After a bit, you were beginning to stir a little. You could faintly hear Lapis' voice as you were slowly coming back to the conscious side.

"It looks like she just fell asleep. Can you take her up to my room and set her on my bed, Jasper? You're the only one who can carry her."

"Sure. Whatever. Didn't think she'd fall asleep though, I thought you were the only one who fell asleep when it rains."

"Ha ha ha, just be careful with her okay?"

"Oh relax. It's not like I'm not used to this, I've carried you and Peridot to bed before." 

You felt yourself being picked up, you felt one hand resting against your back, and the other under your knees.

Slowly, your eyes began to open. _"I guess I fell asleep…"_

You quickly felt your cheeks start burning when you saw that you were being carried in Jasper's arms! It didn't look like she noticed that you were awake, but your heart was  going a million miles a second!

_"Jasper's carrying me! She's actually carrying me! Her scent is all around me! I can feel her strong arms!"_

It was too much for you to take, shortly after you saw her glance at you. You fell back into unconsciousness once more.

You weren't sure how much time had passed, but letting out a small groan. You started opening your eyes to see that you were in a room painted light blue. It was beautifully decorated, the bookshelves lined with books about the ocean and sea-life.

You could even see a half-done sketch on a sketch pad sitting on the desk next to the window. _"This must be Lapis' room. But when did I come in here?"_

When you started remembering how you had gotten to Lapis' room, your mind went on overdrive again.

"Jasper carried me here! I can't believe I really fell asleep here!!" You ruffled your hair a little until you heard a knock at the door.

"(name)? Are you awake?" Lapis came into the room with a small smile.

"Oh, yeah I am. I'm sorry, I guess I must be tired. I didn't think I would fall asleep. I hope I didn't put you out or anything." You said as you started getting up.

"It's no problem. I can relate, the sound of the rain makes me sleepy too." Looking out the window, you could see that the rain had stopped, but it was already dark out.

"Well, it looks like it's already late. I should be heading home. But thank you for everything Lapis." Lapis smiled a bit back at you.

"It's no problem. If you need someone to talk to, you can always come to me (name)."

"And the same goes for you." You smiled back, walking out of the room and then noticed Jasper in the living room, looking at you with an amused expression.

"Sleeping beauty finally wakes up, hm? I was wondering if you were gonna get up or not." 

Your face began to flush, you were still reeling over the fact that she carried you! "W-Well uh… thanks for.. Carrying me to the bed…"

"Don't sweat it, I'm used to doing stuff like that. Sometimes I gotta carry Lapis to bed when she pulls a stunt like you did." Jasper replied with a chuckle.

You smiled a bit at that. She really did have a nice side to her. "Well, I'm heading home. Good night, Jasper." 

"'Night, (name)." When you were outside, your heart skipped a beat.

Just hearing her call you by your name was enough to give you butterflies in your stomach!

But your mind was still lingering on what Lapis had told you. 

_"But the thing you need to know is… Be careful with her."_

It was at that moment that you decided that you wanted to get closer to Jasper, you wanted to know more about her, to become her friend. 

But the only problem was, how to do that?


	5. Flowers

A couple of days had passed since the whole sleeping incident. But other than that, you felt that things between you and your neighbors were going pretty well. You were able to get along with Lapis really well.  
  
You still couldn't really get through to Peridot and with Jasper well… Things were complicated to say the least but you weren't really complaining.  
  
In a way, it was nice to know that Jasper wasn't all confidence and strength. But she had a soft side to her as well. She may not show it often but you could tell that she truly cared about Lapis and Peridot.  
  
And you hoped that one day… she would feel that way about you.   
  
Letting out a sigh, you headed outside, a pair of gardening gloves on your hands.   
  
You liked to keep flowers around your house. You just found something really calming about caring for another living thing.  
  
You smiled softly, as you were watering some of your flowers, you found your mind becoming more and more at ease.   
  
_"At least I managed to calm down. But there has to be something I can do about this… A crush like this just can't be healthy."_ You thought to yourself with a sigh.   
  
You just couldn't understand it! You've never had a crush this bad before. Was it because she lived close by? Was it because she was another woman? You just couldn't tell why and it was driving you crazy!  
  
 _"Oh well. I shouldn't stress myself out now. Not with my azaleas needing me."_  
   
With that thought in your mind, you picked up your watering can and started watering your plants, just looking at the colors of their petals, breathing in their sweet scent.   
  
And just from doing that, you found yourself at ease once more.   
  
Those questions did linger on your mind, you couldn't help but think about what Lapis had told you yesterday.   
  
_"But the thing you need to know is… Be careful with her."_  
  
You didn't know what that was supposed to mean, did you have to be careful around Jasper? Or were you supposed to be careful with Jasper herself?  
  
If that was the case then why bother? Jasper was such a strong woman. She was a lot bigger and stronger than you. She was always confident and looked like she could take on anything so why would you have to be careful with her?   
  
Breathing out a sigh, you just smiled as you gazed at your small garden. It wasn't anything extravagant, but you liked having flowers around your home, they just looked really pretty as well as smelled nice.   
  
And you just found something so calming about flowers. Maybe it was because you were around them a lot as a kid.   
  
On the bright side, it looked like things were going well between you and your neighbors. You made a good friend in Lapis, you were still really shy around Jasper though and Peridot… Well you just hadn't gotten the chance to spend much time with her yet but you wanted to change that.   
  
You learned that there had to be some history between your neighbors and Steven's guardians, that was still a mystery to you.  
  
But you got to see a little bit of Jasper's sweet side. Those kinds of memories you were going to treasure for the rest of your life.  
  
A small smile spread over your face, you wanted to get closer to Jasper but with your shyness, it looked like that was going to be hard to do.   
  
At the very least you wanted to be friends with her, but you didn't know how to go about doing that just yet.  
  
"Hey (name)." You looked over your shoulder and smiled when you saw Sadie walking over with a bag of donuts in her hands.  
  
"Hey Sadie, it's good to see you. Come on, let's go inside." You took off your gloves and welcomed your blond friend inside.   
  
Sadie was one of the few people you were really close to. You've known each other since you were kids and she was always there if you needed someone to talk to.   
  
Even though something like this, you weren't even sure if you could tell Sadie about it. You've never had a crush on a girl before now and it was embarrassing to tell anyone that you actually had such a bad crush on your neighbor that you had very graphic sexual dreams about her!  
  
"So how have things been going? I know you said that you got some new neighbors." Sadie said while taking a seat at your counter.  
  
"Yeah they've been living next door for a couple of weeks now. They're really nice though." You smiled as you started pouring a couple of cups of coffee.   
  
"Well that's good, what are they like though? I saw some workout gear in their garage so I guess they like to keep in shape." Sadie chuckled.  
  
"Actually I've already gotten to know them, and they're all really nice. Especially Lapis Lazuli, I think you would really like her. She's really easy for me to talk to. So far, everything's been going well." You took a seat across from Sadie and picked up one of the donuts from inside the bag.   
  
"I know that you were pretty nervous when it came to your old neighbors. I remember that you were too shy to even introduce yourself to them." Sadie said with a chuckle while eating one of the donuts.  
  
"I know, it's not like I can help it. You know I'm not really good with new people. But I think I'm getting better though. It didn't take me too long to introduce myself to the new neighbors." You replied with a small blush on your cheeks.  
  
You were going to just keep the fact that it took you over a week to introduce yourself to yourself for now.   
  
"I'm glad things are working out for you. And since you told me one of their names, how much do you know about them so far? Like have you made friends with them?" Sadie asked while taking a sip from her cup.  
  
"You could say that. I mean, Lapis is really easy for me to get along with. She's really laid back and easy going. Like you are. Her roommates though are a bit of a different story. Peridot is a little tech savvy, she's always either on a tablet or her phone but it looks like she tends to keep to herself so I haven't gotten that close to her yet. And as for Jasper… The one who owns the workout equipment.. It's a little complicated. I mean it's not like she isn't nice, but I'm not really good with talking to her yet. Maybe it's because she's so confident and really strong. Pretty much the opposite of me." You admitted with a small chuckle.  
  
"You know, it's kinda nice. It's been a while since I last heard you talk like this. You sound like you're actually really excited about making friends with them." Sadie chuckled but had a happy glint in her eye.  
  
It was understandable. You mostly tended to keep to yourself and rarely tried to make friends with others so finding out that you were opening yourself up to the neighbors who just moved in was probably surprising to Sadie.   
  
"I guess so. I mean they're nice people, and I'm always open to making new friends. But how about you? How are things going at the Big Donut?" You smiled back at your blonde friend.  
  
Sadie let out a chuckle as she took a sip from her cup. "I guess you can say it's pretty much the same old, same old. Sometimes Steven will come in and make some kind of mess, and as usual, Lars tries to knock off work and get me to cover for him. Yeah that isn't gonna happen anymore. Not after last time." She breathed out a deeper sigh at that.   
  
You had heard about how Lars had really hurt Sadie's feelings before and you did feel bad about it. Even though it was nice seeing Sadie laugh a bit at how she managed to get back at him for that.   
  
"But it's good that you've managed to stand your ground. I know Lars has to have some good points to him but it's never good to let him walk all over you, Sadie." You saw Sadie smile a little, taking a bite of the donut in her hand.   
  
"Don't worry. I'm pretty much over it by now. I guess it took a while for me to see his true colors." You noticed that she had a bit of a bitter tone at those last few words.   
  
"But at least things are taking a turn for the better. Didn't you say that things with your Mom were getting easier?" You tried to change the subject, no use in just bringing up bad memories.   
  
"Oh yeah they have. I mean it took Steven's help but I finally managed to talk to my Mom like I've always wanted to. I even told her that sometimes she just needs to back up a little bit when I want to get into something. You know how she was, but I think things are getting better now." Sadie finished with a small smile, you had always listened to Sadie complain about her mother and how she would be a little too supportive when it came to anything Sadie wanted to take up as a hobby.  
  
It was really nice hearing her speak positively of her mother for a change.   
  
"That's good. Things are getting a little better on my end too.  I mean, the neighbors are really nice. I think I can consider myself friends with them now." You admitted with a smile, even though you were only really friends with Lapis.  
  
Peridot tended to keep to herself and Jasper… Well it was complicated.   
  
"I'm glad to hear it (name), well my break should be ending pretty soon but I'll call you later okay?" Sadie started getting up from her seat, and with a smile, you picked up the empty bag. "Sure, I'll talk to you later Sadie!" You smiled, waving as your blonde friend walked out of your house.  
  
With a flick of your wrist, you tossed the empty paper bag in the trash and headed back outside to finish tending to your flowers.  
  
Talking to Sadie always had this effect on you, that made you feel happier for some reason you still couldn't understand. Maybe it was because she was a dear friend, someone you knew you could trust.   
  
Kneeling down to the flower bed in front of your home, you picked up the watering can and started sprinkling the colorful plants that littered the flower bed.  
  
You always found that there was something comforting and calming about tending to plants. They came in so many different varieties, so many different colors and in a way, almost like people.  
  
As you had your watering can over the Lantana flowers- one of your personal favorites. You smiled softly, the ones in the center were such a beautiful shade of yellow. Bright, but not blindingly so, and not oversaturated either.  
  
"I'll be back in a bit. Going for a run." Looking to your left, you blushed when you saw Jasper tying up her fluffy blonde hair in a high ponytail that cascaded down her back and as you watched her tighten the laces to her shoes and run off, you found that the pounding in your chest wouldn't stop.  
  
Those feelings began to envelop you once more.  
  
The nervousness, the longing to be close to her, but your curiosity got the better of you.  
  
Lapis' question just resurfaced once more…  
  
 _"But the thing you need to know is… Be careful with her."_  
  
Breathing out a sigh, you set the empty watering can down and sat down at your porch.  
  
"There has to be a way I can get closer to her… To be her friend… But how?" You just continued to stare down the sidewalk she ran down.  
  
That large obstacle still in your way and getting larger the more you thought about it…


	6. Cooking

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First off; thank you for all of the wonderful comments you guys have been leaving! I love them! I'm really sorry it's taking me this long to update, a lot has happened, especially with how Jasper has been treated in the series kind of got me down but I'm planning on continuing with this series so I hope you guys can put up with the weird posting times ^^'
> 
> Also, this is the first time I've written a chapter for this in a while so please excuse if it's a bit of a mess ^^"
> 
> (I'm a little out of practice .////. )

The next day was no better. All you could do was think about what Lapis told you about Jasper. Over, and over, and over again you would hear her repeat. _"But the thing you need to know is… Be careful with her."_

 

"What could she mean by that?" Just wondering wasn't going to give you an answer, and you had a feeling that just asking Lapis about it directly wouldn't work.

 

Letting out a sigh, you got up from the couch and walked to the bookshelf, one way to clear your mind was by reading. Immersing yourself in a good book was easily one of the best ways to get your thoughts in order.

 

"Let's see…" You looked through the collection you had so far, quite a few fantasy novels, some romance and even a few sci-fi novels here and there. But what caught your attention was the cookbook that was sitting out of place.

 

"A cookbook?" You picked it up and it was a cookbook full of cookie recipes that Sadie had gotten you but you never got the chance to really use it. Cooking was never one of your strong suits, even Home EC classes were disasters while you were still in school.

 

But you promised yourself that once you started living on your own that you'd learn how to cook properly. As you looked through the different recipes, an idea suddenly popped into your head.

 

Before you had a chance to think things out completely, you grabbed the cookbook and headed out the door and towards your neighbor's house. _"I'm sure Lapis is gonna love some of these recipes, she looks like the type who likes cooking."_ You thought to yourself with a smile as you walked to the front door.

 

Until you found a good series of online videos to teach you how to cook without setting anything on fire or burning anything, you didn't have much use for this cookbook so it would be better to give it to someone who would get some use out of it like Lapis.

 

"Oh hey (Name), what's up?" Lapis answered the door with her usual soft smile.

 

"Hey Lapis, I actually found this Cookbook and I thought you might like it, I'm not really that good at cooking personally." You said with a bashful blush as you held out the cookbook to Lapis. "Oh great! I'm sure there's a lot of interesting recipes in here. Wanna come in?" With a smile and a nod, you walked into the house and followed Lapis into the kitchen as she started looking through the cookbook.

 

"I'm surprised that you like it, I know that most people now just use the internet to find recipes or videos." You chuckled as you sat at the counter, looking at how joyously Lapis was flipping through the pages.

 

"I know but I guess you can say I'm not that big a fan of the internet, I'm more old fashioned. I love looking through cookbooks. And this couldn't have come at a better time." You saw Lapis set the book on the counter and go to a nearby broom closet, taking out a pair of aprons.

 

"Really? Why do you have two aprons?" You asked curiously. Only to see Lapis put the apron into your hands. "Because you're gonna help me, Peridot and Jasper are out right now and I wanted to surprise them with something sweet when they get back." You only watched as Lapis put on the light blue apron and headed to the fridge, pulling out various ingredients with an excited expression.

 

"I'm not really that good at cooking though and I really don't want to risk ruining your cookies…" You admitted but met with a small smile from Lapis. "Relax, besides, you can't get better at cooking if you're not willing to practice. Now come on, this will be fun." As much as you felt this could be a bad idea, you couldn't refuse that smile on Lapis' face.

 

So the rest of your afternoon was spent trying different cookie recipes with Lapis, varying from something as simple as Chocolate Chip cookies to the more difficult recipes like Macarons.

 

And even though there were a few times when they didn't turn out perfect, you still found yourself having fun, and not even caring if you made a mistake, you were just happy to be spending time with a friend like this.

 

"Okay I think we're done, I'm sure Jasper and Peridot are gonna love these," Lapis said with a smile as she placed the finished Chocolate Chip, Peanut Butter, and Macaron cookies on a plate on the kitchen table while dusting off her hands on her apron.

 

"You really do like cooking, and I think I can see why. It's actually pretty fun when you don't have to worry about messing up or if they're perfect." You said with a small smile as you started washing your hands and giving Lapis a hand with the dirty dishes.

 

"It's not only that. But the looks on their faces, the way they smile when you make something truly delicious for them, that's what makes me love cooking. " You could just tell from the soft smile on Lapis' face that she's experienced that many times. It even made you wonder if you tried to make something for Jasper, how happy would it make you if she said it was delicious?

 

Though you shook your head to get that blush off your cheeks before Lapis noticed.

 

"It's worth practicing you know, and between you and me, Jasper has a bit of a sweet tooth even though she'll deny it, she likes to binge on junk food from time to time." Lapis chuckled, making you blush a little since you already knew that she knew of your crush.

 

"She does? I mean I figured everyone had at least a little bit of a sweet tooth." You smiled at the thought, for some reason, you just found that quality to be really cute on Jasper.

 

"Hey, Lazuli! We're back!" Before you could say anything else, you heard Peridot calling out as she came through the door with Jasper right behind her, carrying a large box. "Don't you have enough computer crap already? What the hell is this for?" The large blonde asked as she set the box down.

 

"Careful with that! I need more processing power for work! This is very sensitive equipment." Peridot said before looking to the kitchen. "Hey, something smells great." She smiled, spotting the plate of cookies with Jasper right behind her.

 

"Welcome home, (name) and I decided to try out some new cookie recipes so you two will be our test tasters," Lapis said with a sly smile, watching the short blonde already pick up one of the cookies

 

"Considering you helped make them, it's no surprise that they're delicious," Peridot said happily as she already was eating one of the chocolate chip.

 

You felt your face start heating up the moment Jasper had picked up one of the sugar cookies you helped make, your heart started pounding, your mind racing with different thoughts.

 

_"Is she gonna like them? Did I add too much sugar? Did I bake them too long?"_ After what felt like an eternity to you, Jasper finally spoke up.

 

"These are pretty good, you made them?" She looked to you, making your heart race even more." N-Not by myself, Lapis helped me, I don't really cook a lot.." You said with a bright blush, trying not to ramble on.

 

"Nonsense, she's got talent, with enough practice she might cook even better than I can," Lapis said with a smile, making Jasper chuckle. "Either way they're pretty good." She told you, and that was when you felt it.

 

Seeing Jasper and Peridot enjoying the cookies you and Lapis had worked on, you could feel that warm mixture of pride and joy that she was talking about earlier.

 

_"Maybe if I practice cooking more, I could feel like this more often. Maybe even… have dinner with Jasper."_ You thought with a small blush, there were still a lot of things you didn't know about her, the same went for both Lapis and Peridot, but after today, you found yourself not only wanting to be closer to Jasper but to Lapis and Peridot too.


End file.
